# LXXIII explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by John Keats.

## What happens

The speaker recounts a mundane and slightly ominous evening: he shoots a moth, makes broth from it, and dines with a princess who initially turns up her nose but then enjoys the meal. He tries to lighten the mood with a pun, but she frowns. A large owl flies by, which he interprets as a bad omen for the new match.

## Themes in this chapter

### Social Critique and Mortality

The triviality of the evening's events—shooting a moth, making broth, a failed pun—contrasts with the ominous owl, suggesting a critique of superficial social rituals and a foreboding sense of mortality.

## Character check-ins

### Princess

The princess dines with the speaker, initially finding the moth broth dainty but then enjoying it; she frowns at a pun.

### Unknown

The speaker narrates the evening's events, including shooting a moth, making broth, and interpreting an owl as a bad omen.

## Key lines

> Five minutes before one⁠—brought down a moth With my new double-barrel⁠—stew’d the thighs, And made a very tolerable broth⁠— Princess turn’d dainty, to our great surprise, Alter’d her mind, and thought it very nice:

At five minutes to one, I shot a moth with my new double-barreled gun, stewed its thighs, and made a decent broth. The princess, to our surprise, initially acted picky but then changed her mind and found it quite good.

_The speaker describes a peculiar hunting and cooking episode, highlighting the princess's capriciousness._

> Seeing her pleasant, tried her with a pun, She frown’d; a monstrous owl across us flies About this time,⁠—a sad old figure of fun; Bad omen⁠—this new match can’t be a happy one.

Seeing she was in a good mood, I attempted a pun, but she frowned. Just then, a huge owl flew by—a ridiculous, sad old creature—which I took as a bad sign that this new match will not be a happy one.

_The speaker's attempt at humor fails, and the appearance of an owl is interpreted as a negative omen for the relationship._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_14_se/chapters/lxxiii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_14_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_14_se/chapters